Multiethnic Ministries of The Wesleyan Church is hosting a shoulder event on October 4 in conjunction with the Call and Response Conference, in Rochester, New York. The Call and Response Conference will be held October 4 – 6, 2018.
The Call and Response Conference, the first of its kind, was birthed from a conversation between black Christian leaders attending another event last year. The group discussed how their voices and experiences in predominately white and some multiethnic spaces were not always understood or celebrated. The leaders began to dream about an experience where a diverse body of people of color could respond faithfully to the challenges and opportunities that exist in North America. Planning of the first Call and Response Conference followed with the conference name chosen because it reflects the black preaching tradition in which the pastor and congregation join together in the effective proclamation of the gospel.
“This conference and its organizers acknowledge the power of the multiethnic church movement but also understand the healthy skepticism many in the black church have of something that has gleaned so much from her, but has failed to give back to her,” said Rev. Santes Beatty, director of Multiethnic Ministries for The Wesleyan Church. “As Wesleyans, we’ve partnered with the conference, understanding this tension and wanting to provide some practical solutions to address it.”
The Call and Response Conference will be multiethnic, while elevating black voices and experiences. For black leaders in The Wesleyan Church, this conference will provide space to learn and share with others. For those of other ethnicities, it will give opportunity to listen and glean from leaders whose voices are not always understood or celebrated but are equally important in the having an impact in God’s kingdom.
Click here for more information and to register.
